Bucs Set New Season Low For Offense, Lose 23-23

ST. LOUIS, MO - DECEMBER 22: Mike Glennon #8 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers passes against the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome on December 22, 2013 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The St. Louis Rams wore throwback jerseys from their Super Bowl title season, then Robert Quinn outdid one of those former stars.

Quinn got three of St. Louis’ seven sacks and set a franchise season record in a 23-13 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

The Rams won without left tackle Jake Long, who injured his knee on the first series. Coach Jeff Fisher believes Long tore a knee ligament.

Quinn leads the NFC with 18 sacks. He broke Kevin Carter’s franchise record of 17 sacks in that 1999 Super Bowl title season.

Zac Stacy rushed for 104 yards on 33 carries and a touchdown, and two other rookies also had big games for the Rams (7-8), who matched their victory total from last year. Stedman Bailey scored on a 27-yard reverse, and Alec Ogletree forced two fumbles.

Ogletree stripped Bobby Rainey early in the second quarter. Bailey scored his first career touchdown on the next snap on the reverse to put the Rams up for good at 14-7.

The Buccaneers (4-11) managed just 170 total yards, setting a season low for the second straight week. Vincent Jackson had five catches for 98 yards.

Rainey opened the scoring with a 1-yard run in the first quarter and Stacy scored on a 1-yard run early in the second quarter.

There were thousands of empty seats for an unattractive matchup with attendance announced at 54,423 — about 12,000 shy of capacity.

James Laurinaitis added two sacks and Greg Zuerlein kicked three field goals, including a season-best 54-yarder in the third quarter after Tampa Bay had cut the deficit to a point.

The Buccaneers are 1-6 on the road, the lone win in overtime at Seattle after an 0-8 start to the season. Tampa Bay finishes at New Orleans next week.

Quinn’s first sack helped force the Bucs to settle for a 35-yard field goal by Rian Lindell to cut the Rams’ lead to 14-10 at the half.

Bailey has gotten involved in the offense the last few weeks and stepped up with Tavon Austin, his former teammate at West Virginia, sidelined for a second straight week by a left ankle injury. The reverse was his first career NFL TD and first rushing at least before college, and he had three catches for 44 yards.

Bailey was just as prolific as Austin in college, scoring 27 touchdowns as a senior.

Sloppy play helped the Bucs keep it close in the first half. Quarterback Kellen Clemens fumbled on a scramble at the Tampa Bay 4 to burn a scoring opportunity, with Gerald McCoy knocking it loose and Keith Tandy recovering. On the Rams’ next snap, Dekoda Watson stripped Stacy and Lavonte David recovered at the Bucs 47.

Tampa Bay had first and goal at the Rams 9 near the end of the half before sacks by Laurinaitis and Quinn on consecutive plays pushed the Buccaneers back 16 yards.